My Meatloaf

Okay, I admit that does not sound like the most appetizing thing I could eat. But, that’s because he never tasted MY meatloaf. Funny thing about meatloaf. People smash together ground beef, onions, eggs and bread crumbs, then drown it in ketchup and call it meatloaf….NOT.

Do not…I repeat…DO NOT put ketchup on meatloaf! If you put ketchup on meatloaf, you’re doing it wrong. If you want to see it done right, keep reading.

It starts off with a blend of ground meat. While it’s perfectly fine to use ground beef alone, adding ground pork or veal gives it a really nice texture. I like to use ground pork. If you don’t eat pork, ground turkey will yield the same result, as long as it’s dark meat turkey. Ground turkey breast won’t give it the moisture you want. Gather all the rest of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add some oil to a hot pan and saute onion, bell pepper and celery.

Stir the veggies constantly so that they cook without browning. Saute the veggies for about 7 minutes or until they are soft and translucent like this:

Now, combine all of the ingredients into a bowl. This is when you can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Using your hands, blend of the ingredients thoroughly. Make sure all the flavors are evenly distributed.

With all the ingredients mixed, form the mixture into a “loaf” on a baking pan. I recommend using a baking sheet or baking pan instead of a roasting pan. You will find that the meatloaf browns better.

Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 45-55 minutes. It should be golden brown and firm when it’s done. Voila!

Let the meatloaf to rest. This allows the juices to circulate. While it’s resting, you can make your gravy. What good is a meatloaf without gravy?

In a pan, combine melted butter and flour. You could also use the oil from the meatloaf if you’d like. Either way, just be sure that you are using equal parts of both oil and flour. Keep the temperature of the pan high enough to maintain a somewhat rapid bubbling. Stir constantly to keep the mixture smooth. It will eventually start to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Now add the beef stock, worcestershire sauce and onion powder.

Yum! Now it’s starting to look like gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit of water (or more beef stock if you want an even richer flavor). Continue stirring to avoid lumps. If you want to add another dimension to the flavor, you could saute a few sliced mushrooms and add them to the gravy.

Slice up the meatloaf and drizzle the gravy over the slices. Make sure you have enough for mashed potatoes! Remix this TV dinner-style meal with Tipsy Peas.